Better preparedness with accurate and timely information has helped in preventing loss of life and minimising damage to property, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said, commending the East Godavari district administration for effectively handling the situation and Real-Time Governance Society (RTGS) for its accurate forecast and coordination.

Shares of Indian telecom company Reliance Communications Ltd plunged as much as 13% on Wednesday after the Economic Times reported that Department of Telecommunications (DoT) rejected a proposed spectrum sale to Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. The RCom stock fell as much as 13.3% to Rs 13.65 per share on NSE. At 10.52am, RCom shares traded at 14.85 per share.

Traders in many parts of the state decided to resist hartals after frequent shutdowns crippled business and made people's lives miserable. The latest to join in the move to deny hartals is the film industry. The Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce has decided to keep theatres open on hartal days. Filming and allied work will not be shelved on hartal days.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2014 comments on bringing black money to India, often raised by opposition parties to target him and the ruling BJP, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale's latest statement is seen by many as a blunder. He told reporters on Monday that "Rs. 15 lakh in every account" will reach people slowly, and not in one go.

Ron taluk has been reeling under severe drought for the last four years. Belavanaki has not seen a drop of rain this year. Many farmers have stopped farming, opting instead to work in fields that have irrigation facilities. The taluk has 1.11 lakh acres of irrigation land, which falls at the tail end of the Malaprabha canal system.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram is being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate at the probe agency's office in the capital after he was summoned in connection with the INX Media case. The role of Chidambaram, 73, had come under the scanner of various investigating agencies in the Rs. 3,500-crore Aircel-Maxis deal and the INX Media case involving Rs. 305 crore.

The CBI has opposed the bail plea of alleged middleman Christian Michel in Delhi's Patiala House Court. Michel’s lawyer, Aljo K Joseph, submitted before House Court that Michel was cooperating in the investigation, but has become weak. The CBI court on Saturday granted the agency Michel's custody for another four days. The CBI had asked for the custody to be extended.

The rebel in love is back and how! Tiger Shroff and Sajid Nadiadwala's successful franchise is all set to return with its third instalment on March 6, 2020. It's left to see who will be seen opposite Tiger Shroff in Baaghi Speculations were rife that Sara Ali Khan has bagged the role however she recently rubbished the report saying it's nothing but a rumour.

The Central government, for the first time, has admitted that people did die due to reasons linked with its sudden demonetisation move in 2016. It has said four people, which included three bank staff and one customer, died during the demonetisation and were paid compensation as well. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has admitted that SBI reported these four deaths.

The Reserve Bank of India said on the review of the evolving liquidity conditions, it has decided to scale up the amounts to be purchased in the remaining two OMO (Open Market Operation) auctions scheduled in December 2018 to Rs. 15,000 crore each. "Consequently, the total injection of durable liquidity for the month of December 2018 would amount to Rs. 500 billion.

At a time when the State government is preparing the ground for laying the foundation stone of an integrated steel plant in Kadapa district on December 27, a Chinese firm has expressed its readiness to establish a mega steel plant in AP. Representatives of the firm unveiled their plan to set up 7,000 MT capacity (per year) steel plant near any port.

The UP Special Task Force (STF) on Tuesday arrested two more people in connection with the Bulandshahr violence on December 3 in which a police inspector and a local youth were killed, an official said. Senior superintendent of police, Abhishek Singh said Sachin alias Cobra (21) and Jhony Chowdhary (19), who was arrested on Tuesday, were not named in the FIR.

There may be protests galore over proposed flyovers in Bengaluru as a solution to its traffic problems, but it appears that at least 30 new flyovers/underpasses could be built across the city under a mega Rs 9,200 crore plan by the state government to ease traffic congestion. The move comes ahead of the crucial 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

A communications satellite that will help connect all assets of the Indian Air Force and work as a force multiplier, will be the 17th mission and last launch of Indian space agency ISRO for the year 2018. The long-awaited GSAT-7A, which would take-off from Sriharikota this evening, will connect all IAF assets like planes.

With the year coming to a close, the end of the year party is the best way to celebrate the coming year with friends and some festive activities. If you're planning to throw a house party, there are certain things that one needs to keep in mind to enjoy your New Year while also being responsible. Check out the list about what you need to do while planning a house party.

In a city where ambulance delays are pretty common, thanks to heavy traffic on the roads, the Hyderabad Metro Rail is making provision for emergency medical services to be delivered by the Metro network which is the fastest way of getting across the city. L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad Ltd (L&THMRL) is in discussion with hospitals to transit passengers via the Metro.

The National Human Rights Commission sought a report from the Maharashtra government on the death of eight people in a fire at a hospital in Mumbai, while not ruling out negligence by the hospital administration. The Commission issued a notice to the Chief Secretary calling for a detailed report including the outcome of the probe "reportedly mentioned by the city Mayor."

Country’s first honeybee flora park will come up at Beekeeping Consortium and Training Centre under the Kerala State Horticulture Products Corporation (Horticorp) at Kochalummood, Mavelikkara, near Alappuzha soon. Agriculture Minister V S Sunilkumar will inaugurate the honey bee flora park on December 20. The aim of the park is to create high-quality honey.

As many as 4.5 lakh families “living on objectionable poramboke land” in rural areas of the State for over five years are expected to receive three cents of land each free. Apart from the period of occupancy of the poramboke land, the families should fulfil the criterion of having a maximum annual income of ₹1 lakh. They will be given land documents for three cents each.

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav mocked at DMK president M. K. Stalin’s proposal backing Congress president Rahul Gandhi as a Prime Ministerial candidate for 2019 Lok Sabha elections and said the PM’s post is not “vacant” as Narendra Modi will continue to be Prime Minister for the next ten years. He said Stalin's proposal had not found resonance even within the parties.

2018 has proved to be an important year in the film industry, from standing up for equal pay to standing up for each other to support the #MeToo movement. Earlier today, prolific members of the fraternity, Karan Johar and Akshay Kumar met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the ongoing issues related to the film industry.

CM Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam will flag off vehicles carrying Christmas gifts to people affected by cyclone Gaja, from the AIADMK headquarters. This year, Christmas gifts from AIADMK will be sent to Christians in five districts - Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Dindigul - which were worst hit by the cyclone.

Siddaramaiah, Chairman of the Coalition Coordination Committee, laid the foundation stone for establishing a Sainik school in memory of Sangolli Rayanna, a valiant warrior and chief of Kittur Rani Chennamma’s army, and a slew of development works at Sangolli in Belagavi district. Siddaramaiah said that the works being implemented at an estimated cost of ₹ 267.67 crores.

A safety panel set up by US President Donald Trump in the wake of numerous school shootings recommended Tuesday that schools consider arming staff, using veterans as guards and reversing Obama-era guidelines. It also recommended education authorities hiring military veterans and former police officers who "can also serve as highly effective educators."

Yet another public interest litigation (PIL) petition challenging a Government Order (GO) dated June 25 last, of the State government banning the manufacture, sale and use of plastic products from January 1, has been filed in the Madras High Court. The Environment and Forest (EC.2) department, has imposed a total ban on manufacture.

A Chinese delegation met Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu at the Grievance Hall near his residence on Tuesday and evinced interest in setting up a steel plant in the State. The delegation proposes to establish the steel plant, with a capacity of 7.2 million metric tonnes per annum, under the China-India Steel Plant Investment Project.

The Madras high court has quashed the criminal defamation proceedings against Super Star Rajinikanth. The petition filed by Shivaji Rao Gaikwad alias Rajinikanth, which sought to call for the records pertaining to taking of cognizance of the private complaint lodged by film financier S. Mukunchand Bothra on the file of VII Metropolitan Magistrate and quash the same.

The hatchback of the year is one of the most sought-after categories in the Indian market simply because of the importance that they hold due to the huge sales number that this category racks up for manufacturers. As a result, several automakers came out with their offerings for the segment and we have chosen the best.

The Microsoft Surface family of devices has registered high double-digit growth in the Indian market this year and the game changer Surface Go is set to add heavily to that next year, a company executive said in Delhi. According to Priyadarshi Mohapatra, the device has a clear edge over its rivals in the market when it comes to a laptop or a near-desktop experience.

As we stand on the threshold of a new year, it’s time to face the harsh reality of 2018: it was another disappointing year for fans of Telugu cinema (barring a few exceptions). The film industry saw a steady flow of brain-dead movies, failing to live up to its promise of being on the verge of a tectonic shift in its approach to filmmaking.

Excess body weight or obesity is responsible for 3.9 per cent of cancer globally, a new study has found. The study, published in the journal Cancer, highlighted a relationship between obesity and the risk of 13 types of cancers, including postmenopausal breast cancer and liver cancer, and a probable relationship with three others, including prostate cancer.

Stroking or cuddling babies gently not only makes them feel fuzzy and warm, but it turns out, the act might have some pain relieving effect. According to a study, as quoted in a report in BBC, stroking a baby can help in curbing activities in the brain which are often associated with painful experiences.

Polka dots may be a popular print since time immemorial, but they definitely aren't going anywhere. Need convincing? Kareena Kapoor, Shilpa Shetty and more Bollywood fashionistas have all sported the print fabulously in the past and Sara Ali Khan is now joining the gang. For movie promotions, Sara wore a strapless black and white polka dot mini dress with a ruffle.

A new study now finds that dolphin who are known for their intelligence enjoy chilling out in front of the TV as well. Researchers at the Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder in Florida played videos on a TV screen through underwater windows. They played scenes from Sir David Attenborough's Planet Earth featuring other cetaceans plus some Spongebob Squarepants.

Red Chillies Entertainment has partnered with Snapchat to launch the first ever Augmented Reality (AR) Lens for a film in India to promote the upcoming launch of Zero. The Lens, goes live today and runs through December 22, will allow Snapchatters to become the main character, known as Bauua Singh, and interact with the plot line of the movie.

Despite protests from animal rights activists, there have purportedly been no human or animal fatalities in kambala, unlike jallikattu, the bull taming sport popular in South Tamil Nadu. But PETA isn’t convinced with the “guidelines” issued by the Karnataka government that include a committee of tahsildars and local police to watch over the event.

Netflix’s retro wrestling comedy GLOW is set to have its own comic book series which will come out in March next year. IDW Publishing announced a four-issue comic book series based on the show. The comic book will offer an original story spinning out from the critically acclaimed series starring Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin and Marc Maron.

The only thing more shocking than Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to deny the involvement of the Congress party in the 1984 massacre of Sikhs is the cynicism with which so many of us speak of one of independent India’s most heinous crimes after being complicit in its cover up for 34 years. It is worth asking why non-Congress governments have consistently failed to deliver justice.

‘Period. End of Sentence,’ the short documentary film on the stigma surrounding women during menstruation in rural India has made it to the 91st Oscar’s shortlist in the Documentary Short Subject category. The film’s executive producer Guneet Monga shared the happy news with everyone on Instagram.

Exactly a week after assembly election results were announced, focus has now shifted to the three new CMs—Ashok Gehlot, Kamal Nath and Bhupesh Bhagel. What heading the three big states means to them and to their party – the Congress - in view of LS polls due in four months. But more interesting political trajectories and intra-party politics may be unfolding elsewhere.

In a first in the country, an Interoperable Criminal Justice System has been launched in Telangana enabling the live exchange of data between courts and police which would eventually expedite the process of delivering justice to the common man. Justice Madan B Lokur, Chairman of the ICJS and Judge-In-Charge Committee, SC, launched the project in Warangal district.

The death of a wild elephant while trying to escape angry villagers in Karnataka’s Nagarhole National Park last week triggered widespread outrage on social media. According to the Environment Ministry in the last five years, nearly 500 elephants have died in the country due to unnatural factors. Out of the 490 deaths, 267 — have occurred due to electrocution.

People often say “Mumbai is LIT!” But that statement is more true literally than metaphorically. The visibly cramped city always seems to be catching fire. Always! Last year alone saw 4,790 fires in which 30 died. That’s an average of 13 fires a day! Now, let’s talk about this year.

Chennai now has an inclusive and disabled-friendly park where all children can play. The city corporation on Monday unveiled its first ever sensory park which caters to children with different kinds of disabilities. Located in Santhome, the park is both colourful and exciting as it helps these kids navigate the space and stimulates their sensory experience as they play.

By overturning the session court’s order that acquitted Congress leader Sajjan Kumar for his role in the 1984 riots, the Delhi High Court has given hope to thousands of families who have waited for justice for more than 34 years. More than 3,000 Sikhs were burnt alive in the Capital after the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

Children learn the harsh realities of hierarchy, stratification and class division not through books, but through everyday experiences. Do any of them ask: for whom does the nation exist? There are many perplexing questions that confront the mental landscape of children. Every morning as they start their journey towards school, they see a terribly fragmented nation.

Following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984 by two of her Sikh bodyguards, the Sikh community became a target of communal violence. Mobs went around Delhi killing 2,733 Sikhs over the next four days. A total of 3,350 Sikhs were killed across the country, as per official figures.

Ayodhya the land of Ram is also the land that’s the crucible of extremely polarised religious politics. The growing insistence of Hindu organisations for a law that enables the construction of the Ram temple has reached a crescendo. But how does Ayodhya that was once supposed to epitomise model governance or Ram Rajya fare today?

Changing India, a book penned by the Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh encapsulates his life as an economist and a policymaker, and sheds light on the ten years that he led the UPA. A set of five volumes, Changing India gives the former PM’s perspectives on a wide range of economic, social and political issues as they evolved through his political career.

Demonetisation lowered India’s economic growth by at least 2 percentage points in the quarter of its announcement, a new paper authored by four economists, including International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief economist Gita Gopinath, has said. The paper says Q4 of 2016 saw a contraction in employment and nightlights-based output in India due to demonetisation.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 auction takes place on Tuesday. 351 cricketers, including 226 Indians, go under the hammer in Jaipur. While 1,003 players had initially registered, the final list has been pruned to 351 after the eight franchises submitted their respective shortlists. No Indian cricketer figures in the highest reserve price bracket of Rs 2 crore.

Sunny Leone, who is often a target of sexist and disparaging remarks by people, says she is disturbed when "nonsense" gets highlighted. I always try to push negativity aside, but there are some things which I can’t because I am also a human and I have feelings. I get disturbed when the media exaggerates and highlights things that they know is nonsense and can hurt people.

It has already been announced that Ajith, who awaits the release of Viswasam, will next be seen in the Tamil remake of Amitabh Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu starrer Pink. To be directed H Vinoth of Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru fame, the project marks the foray of producer Boney Kapoor into Tamil filmdom.

The Congress stuck to its pre-poll promise of waiving farmers’ loans in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh — within six hours of the swearing-in of the respective chief ministers. On Tuesday, Congress party president Rahul Gandhi made it clear that a loan waiver would be a key issue for the Congress to try and corner the Modi government ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

It breaks my heart to hear the government call my husband's murder an accident, said the wife of the senior police officer who was killed by a mob in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr. "It's been 16 days and the main accused has still not been arrested. An SHO (station house officer) is killed on duty and they say he died of heart attack.

The Delhi HC on Tuesday said its stay on sale of drugs and prescription medicines by online pharmacies will continue till rules are framed to regulate such entities. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice VK Rao said that "once the rules come into play, you (online pharmacies) can start selling it. Problem is that today there are no rules regulating it".

Facing a fresh bout of litigation by Tamil Nadu over the Cauvery issue, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said the decades-old dispute "is not going to be solved permanently" by the judiciary and pitched for talks between the two states. Striking a note of cordiality, he said Kannadigas and Tamils should share inter-state waters according to need of the situation.

Thirty-four years after the ghastly anti-Sikh riots of 1984, former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar has been sentenced to jail for the rest of his life. The now 73-year-old was one of those who orchestrated the riots following PM Indira Gandhi's assassination by her Sikh bodyguards. Those who lived to tell the tale wonder if that blood-curdling violence truly played out.

A man in his 30s allegedly suffering from depression has been detained for lurking suspiciously near the residence of Finance Minister Arun Jaitely in south Delhi's Greater Kailash, the police said Tuesday. The person has been identified as Ganesh Nayak, a resident of Prakash Mohalla in Garhi, they said.

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is toying with the idea of carving out a quota within the overall OBC quota for reservations. According to a Times of India report, a four-member social justice panel has recommended subdividing 79 OBC castes into three categories: Backward Class, More Backward Class and Most Backward Class.

Sachin Pilot, senior Congress leader and till recently, one of the contenders for the top job in Rajasthan, today said sharing power with party veteran Gehlot just means they had to work "twice as hard". Mr Pilot lost the race to the top to Mr Gehlot in a tussle that rolled for more than 70 hours and involved much back and forth consultations with party chief Rahul Gandhi.

Cong govts at the Centre were involved in corrupt practices since the time of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal alleged on Tuesday. The BJP leader's accusations came when he said the SC verdict on Rafale deal showed that there was no scam in it and that Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been spreading lies about the Modi govt.

The Ram temple issue echoed at a meeting of the BJP parliamentary party with a UP lawmaker demanding enactment of a law for its early construction while Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh advised him to keep patience. BJP's Ghosi MP Hari Narayan Rajbhar said this is an issue of faith and needs to be addressed at the earliest.

During a recent award function, director AR Murugadoss revealed that his upcoming film with Superstar Rajinikanth will not be a political film. Murugadoss' previous film 'Sarkar', faced a lot of hurdles both prior and after its release. Following the release, many AIADMK ministers and party cadres expressed their displeasure about certain scenes in the Vijay-starrer.

He may have become the poster boy for Indian enforcement agencies, but alleged Agusta middleman Christian Michel, extradited by Dubai on December 4, has not opened up at all to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Top sources have confirmed that the cooperation they were hoping for from the middleman in the 3600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal has not materialised.

Train timings and rail connectivity are matters of policy and not for courts to decide on the basis of a public interest petition, the Supreme Court has said in a recent order. The apex court set aside a decision of the Uttarakhand High Court to close a PIL filed by the Uttaranchal/Uttarakhand High Court Bar Association.

MP CM Kamal Nath’s remark that people of the state were losing jobs to migrants from UP and Bihar has created an uproar, with many politicians slamming the Cong veteran for the “divisive” statement. Akhilesh Yadav lashed out at Nath saying that North Indians might decide which party would form the government at the Centre.

Mizoram is set for a dry Christmas and New Year with the new MNF government’s decision to designate December 21 to January 14 as dry days as it looks set to bring back prohibition. Imposing total prohibition in the Christian majority state was one of the poll promises of the Zoramthanga-led MNF which stormed back to power after 10 years in November 28 assembly polls.

Assam government has approved farm loan waiver of Rs. 600 crore which will benefit around eight lakh farmers of the state, its spokesman said Tuesday. As per the scheme, the government will write off 25 per cent loan of farmers up to a maximum of Rs. 25,000 of all farm debts, Assam Government spokesperson and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said.

Karnataka cabinet, which is set to see an expansion, may even go through a reshuffle, Cong leaders hinted on Tuesday. The development comes following the Congress Legislature Party meeting held in Belagavi. MLAs from the northern districts have been miffed with the current government as out of the 41 MLAs representing the North, only five were accommodated in the cabinet.

India's drug regulator said on Tuesday a news agency Reuters report that Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that cancer-causing asbestos lurked in its baby powder was "under consideration".
A spokeswoman for the CDSCO told news agency Reuters it was too early to say if a formal investigation would be launched into the baby powder.

Facing cash flow problems just months before a national election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi could have a saviour in the country's new central bank chief. The economy's spending is exceeding its revenue, leaving the government looking for funds to help an ailing banking sector -- a key to boosting loans and investment and creating jobs.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir on Tuesday told Parliament that the government does not intend to extend the National Register of Citizens exercise, currently being conducted in Assam, to any other states. Ahir was responding to Trinamool Congress MP Prasun Banerjee’s question about whether the government had any such plans.

An engineer from Mumbai, who spent the last six years in a jail in Pakistan on espionage charges, has crossed the Attari-Wagah border to reach India. He was released today. Hamid Ansari, 33, was greeted by his family and many officials at the Wagah border. His parents could be seen hugging him as he crossed over into India and an official handed him a bottle of water.

Maari 2, directed by Balaji Mohan, is a direct sequel to 2015 gangster drama Maari, starring Dhanush in the lead. In part one, the actor played a dhoti-clad, moustache-twirling local rowdy, and was paired with Kajal Aggarwal, who is not a part of this film. In an interview, Dhanush had assured that Maari 2 will have stronger content and emotions than the first part.

A rescue operation launched to rescue over 14 people trapped inside a flooded "rat-hole" mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills was disrupted due to heavy rain and strong winds today. Five days have passed since the operation's launch, but nobody has been rescued yet. Divers have only succeeded in recovering three helmets until now, sources said.

Days after the CBI bribery case took the nation by storm, retired RAW joint secretary Dineshwar Prasad — whose sons were alleged to be the middlemen in the case — has denied any links with NSA Ajit Doval or CBI special director Rakesh Asthana. Prasad also maintained that he knows Samant Goel, an IPS officer who is supposedly close to Asthana, from his days in the RAW.

A pilot project in Istanbul is allowing metro users to pay for credit on travel cards by slotting plastic bottles instead of money into vending machines, a relatively rare step to improve recycling and waste management in a country of over 80 million people. The commuters can drop the aluminium bottles into the vending machine. The machine ads credit to their subway cards.

The father of Hadiya -- the Kerala woman whose marriage to a Muslim man generated questions on forced conversions has joined the BJP. KM Ashokan, who had asked the Kerala High Court to annul his daughter's marriage claiming she was brainwashed, said he is disenchanted with the ruling CPM, the party he supported, over its handling of the Sabarimala issue.

ISRO will launch the country’s newest satellite GSAT-7A, which will give a boost to the defence forces’ communication capabilities, from Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota on Wednesday. In the third mission in just over a month, the space agency will launch the 2,250 kg operational communication satellite from the second launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

Many were left shocked when Yuvraj Singh went unsold for the first time in IPL history in the auction for the 2019 season. Here are the big players who found no takers in the IPL auction 2019: Yuvraj Singh, Pujara, Alex Hales, Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill. However, if teams later show interest in them, these players will go under the hammer again in the evening.

People residing in the national capital woke up to a foggy morning on Tuesday with the minimum and maximum temperatures touching seven Degrees Celsius, and 22 Degree Celsius -- two notches below -- the season's average. Moreover, the temperature during the night is also likely to fall.

The BJP's Odisha unit on Tuesday promised to waive farm loans in the state if the party comes to power in the 2019 Assembly elections. The announcement was made by BJP state president Basant Panda at a press conference in Odisha. Assembly elections in Odisha are due in 2019 along with the Lok Sabha elections.

With the global automotive universe moving towards autonomous vehicles - be in semi-autonomous with the likes of Tesla's autopilot or fully autonomous Level 5 cars that are expected in the near future, India is a ways away. While Indian road conditions are absolutely non-conducive for autonomous driving, government policy too is taking a similar direction.

Yuvraj Singh does not find any takers! With a base price of Rs 1 crore, the Indian batsman will come back into the mix later today. Jaydev Unadkat got sold to Rajasthan Royals for Rs 8.40 Crore. Ishant Sharma got sold to Delhi Capitals for Rs 1.10 Crore

A school in Bihar is allegedly segregating students based on religion and caste, Bihar minister Krishnandan Prasad Verma said, adding that a government inquiry has been launched to probe the case. The government-run GA Plus 2 School in Lalganj of Vaishali district is allegedly segregating students into different sections and classrooms based on their religion and caste.

Indian national Hamid Ansari is being repatriated to India after six long years of being kept a prisoner after a military court in Pakistan had accused him on charges of espionage and convicted him. As Ansari’s family and well-wishers wait for him to finally come home after six long difficult years, here’s a look at the ‘heroes’ behind the case, who helped bring him back.

Now Aadhaar registration for children under the age of five in Tamil Nadu can be done from the comforts of their home itself with the state government launching a Rs 13.61 crore scheme for door-step enrolment. The scheme, containing laptop computers and biometric machines among others, would help in the collection of biometric data of the children from their residences.

The BJP described Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s remark that he will not allow Narendra Modi to sleep until farm loans are waived as a new low in the country’s public discourse. Nothing better can be expected from Mr. Gandhi, whose party ensured that Indians did not sleep during its 60 years of rule due to rampant corruption, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

A first order approximation, as per the new notification of the TRAI, which would come into effect starting from January 1, is likely to raise the monthly cable or DTH bill of India’s TV consumers. The new tariff order for the broadcast sector gives consumers the option to select and pay only for their preferred TV channels at the MRP set by the respective broadcasters.

Since 2018 started, PUBG has scaled up on the popularity charts. The online battle royale game has now become a household name, with the developers hosting special events to bring together the best players on the platform. The PC version raked in high praise from gamers around the world for the kind of gameplay it offered.

A severe feud between two factions of the management over revenue sharing might have led to the food poisoning incident at Maramma temple in Sulivadi village of Chamarajanagar district, police said as the toll increased to 15 with the death of another woman. Health department said Dundamma (51) died on Tuesday, while over 100 people were still in different hospitals.

A tattoo artist based in Delhi was found beheaded in Mayur Vihar on Sunday. Police said that his three friends beheaded him with coconut choppers after he refused to return their money. The headless body of 22-year-old Babloo Kumar was found inside bushes in a vacant plot in Delhi's Mayur Vihar on December 16. They added that the accused have been arrested.

Only Europay, MasterCard, Visa (EMV) chip and pin-based debit or credit cards will be valid from January 1, 2019, according to a circular by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The move has been initiated to tackle issue of electronic frauds such as cloning, skimming and misuse of lost cards, instances of which have been increasing.

PM Modi laid foundation stones for two metro lines and affordable housing projects entailing an investment of over Rs 33,000 cr in the megapolis. At an event held months ahead of the crucial elections in 2019, Modi kickstarted work on the ambitious Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan and the Dahisar-Mira Bhayander in this Mumbai suburb, which will see investments of over Rs 15,000 cr.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the government is aiming to bring 99 per cent of items below the 18 per cent GST slab and warned of stringent action against defaulters of bank loan and fugitives. In a stern warning, he said economic fugitives and defaulters of bank loans would not be spared.

The rumour mills are abuzz in Bengaluru with claims that controversial ‘godman’ Swami Nithyananda has fled India. According to unconfirmed reports, Nithyananda has fled to a foreign country to escape the law. Some even claim that he has already sought political asylum in Cayman Islands.

At an event in Chennai to unveil his life-size statue on Sunday, his son and now DMK chief MK Stalin referred to Karunanidhi's endorsement for members of the Gandhi family and ended up continuing the tradition. Sources say Stalin took the call after analysing the results in Telangana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said justice will be done in the case of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and the country will not forget or forgive what he did. Addressing a conference, he said India's major needs as a developing country will always be internal.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has left the club with immediate effect following a dismal start to the season, the Premier League side announced on Tuesday. “Manchester United announces that manager Jose Mourinho has left the club with immediate effect,” United said in a statement.